Worries about China’s financial instability and weaknesses of growth prospects on global front has not only made Sensex shed 241.75 points (0.88 per cent downturn) on the last trading day of the ongoing week but also dragged down Nifty to a 2-month low level to 8299.95, an intra-day fall of 72.80 points or 0.87 per cent. The worst performing sectors were infrastructure, automobile, realty, and banks. It was the FMCG segment that helped the market recover some of its losses during last hour of trade. While BSE Midcap dipped 0.9 per cent, BSE Smallcap was down by 0.6 per cent. In BSE, 1806 stocks declined and 1001 stocks advanced.

Railway minister Suresh Prabhu, in an event in Kolkata, launched a smartphone based security application for Eastern Railways’ women suburban commuters. The app is named R-Mitra (Railway Mobile Instant Tracking Response and Assistance). General Manager of Eastern Railway, R K Gupta, said that this app has been designed as per the available technology implemented in Secunderabad and Mumbai. However, this app is more versatile in nature because of the incorporation of a special facility that allows women passengers to take photos of the perpetrators and send them to the security control room directly. iPhone users will get this app in coming one week. Non-smartphone users can also send SMS alerts.

Sania Mirza is continuing her superb performance with her Swiss partner Martina Hingis as the duo entered semi final match of US$ 2,701,240 WTA Premier Tournament. The Indo-Swiss duo humiliated USA’s wild card entrants Christina Mchale and CoCo Vandeweghe in straight sets 6-4, 6-1. In the semis, they will now play against partners from Taipei Hao-Ching Chan and Yung-Jan Chan to secure their place in the final. Sania remains the only Indian player in this tournament. While Leander Paes-Stanislas Wawrinka pair lost to Feliciano Lopez and Max Mirnyi 6-3, 2-6, 12-14, Rohan Bopanna-Florin Mergea pair lost to Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo 1-6, 6-1, 12-14.

22-Aug-2015Others

SC asks Union Government to relook the National Policy for ending Farmer Suicides

Supreme Court has urged the Union Government to re-look the national policy on farmers so that proper action can be taken to avert agrarian crisis and end farmer suicides. A social justice bench, consisting of Justice U U Lalit and Justice Madan B Lokur, said that there must be something wrong with the farming policy of 2007, which is making the farmers take their own lives. The bench also asked additional solicitor general Pinky Anand for filing an affidavit which will include central government’s action plan for racking the agrarian crisis and consequent farmers’ suicide across India.

22-Aug-2015Politics

Home Minister clears the air on NSA Level Talks with Pakistan

Home Minister Rajnath Singh made it clear that NSA-level discussions between India and Pakistan will take place only on the issue of terrorism, as per Ufa agreement between PM Narendra Modi and Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif. When asked about the uncertainty of talks after Pakistan’s insistence of meeting Kashmiri separatist leaders before the talks and raising the issue of Kashmir, Rajnath made it clear that India will not deviate from the Ufa agreement and the final call rests with Pakistan. In a news meet, Pakistan NSA Sartaj Aziz said that they don’t want any preconditions over NSA-level discussions and will raise Kashmir issue. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday urged both India and Pakistan to “return to dialogue”. Latest documents prove that 1993 bomb blast’s prime accused Dawood Ibrahim is in Karachi, which India will present as dossier if NSA level talks take place.

Polling for crucial century old civic election of Bengaluru - Bruhat Bengaluru Mahangara Palike (BBMP) – started today at 7am IST in 197 wards (6,700 booths) with 1,121 candidates in the fray and more than 71 lakh people registered to vote. However, till 2pm just 23-25 per cent polling took place. In the Hongasandra ward, BJP candidate Bharati Ramachandra was declared victorious even before the polls because of the cancellation of Congress candidate K Maheshwari’s candidature owing to false caste certificate submission. PN Srinivasachari, Chief Election Commissioner of Karnataka, said that counting of votes will take place on August 25.